Anyone who has known me for a while, knows I love a good party.  So much so that Popo (my grandpa) made it a point to bring it up during a speech he gave at my wedding.  He shared that fact that about one week prior to any given party I would start talking about the party, asking for details about the party, and reminding anyone and everyone near me about said party.  Now that I’m mama to two little boys my passion for parties has been reignited and oh, how I love planning a good party!

A few months ago a dear photography client of mine asked if I would be interested in helping pull together a party for her adorable one-year old daughter.  (This is one of the many reasons I adore my clients!)   I gathered together a group of my incredibly talented friends and got to work planning a barnyard bash complete with animal cookie invitations, pony rides, and an amazing spread of hoe-down inspired dishes.  The party was a huge success and Brooke had a fabulous time at her first birthday celebration.  Maybe, just maybe, I passed the “party bug” onto her.  ;)

I posted the first series of images from my first session with this smiley princess last week, but had to share a few from our second session where we focused on the family and daddy/baby photos.  This little peanut slept, yet again, throughout the entire session.  (I could get used to babies like her!!)  It was so cute watching her dad swoon all over her…you can tell he is in heaven with his two beautiful girls at home!  Congratulations again, Brent and Susan.

This little princess was joyfully welcomed home just a few weeks ago by her loving family and what a good baby she is!  She slept through the entire session including multiple outfit changes…such a trooper!  I started the session with some classic, simple shots and then moved onto some of her pink, frilly outfits.  No sooner did I get her in a pink blanket and bow than she flashed the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on a baby her size.  Something tells me she might just be a girly-girl!  Brent and Suz…thanks again for having me out to photograph your beautiful baby girl.  Congratulations!

I know, I know…my poor blog has been neglected.   I’ve been working on a few commercial projects which has meant an increased travel schedule and less time here at the studio.  Now that those projects are wrapping up I look forward to getting back into a routine and more regular blog updates.

I typically don’t talk about or post much about my personal life on my blog.  However, a few weeks ago a dear friend of mine, Marla, recently starting writing more candidly about her “real life” and I was inspired to do the same.  So here it goes…

Ever since high school I have been relatively health conscious.  I tried to live a healthy lifestyle and not overindulge in foods I knew weren’t good for me.  Five years ago when I started my photography business I fell victim to “convenience” and slowly but surely allowed not-so-healthy alternatives to creep into my home.  Over time I started to see and feel the effects my food choices were having not only on me, but also my children.  Like so many people, when January 1st rolled around I decided it was time for change.  I took a trip to the local book store and stocked up on a half a dozen nutrition books determined to find a solution.  I spent an entire weekend reading, reading and reading some more.  By the end of the week I was beyond determined to make some drastic changes but felt completely overwhelmed and a bit confused with the conflicting information I had read in the various books.

Fast forward to the next week when I mentioned my frustration to a friend at the gym.  She recommended the book, “Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism”, by local author and nutritionist Maria Emmerich.  I bought the book and devoured it (no pun intended) in one night.  The way she explained nutrition and how food works in our body made PERFECT sense to me.  Over the next few days I started cleaning out my pantry and making the changes I knew needed to happen.  It’s been a lot of baby steps since then, but I’m more than two months into the process and words cannot describe the difference these changes have made on my life.

My days used to be filled with constant cravings (especially for sugar), I had a hard time focusing/remembering details, and most of all I was tired 99% of the time.  Replacing my old “convenience” foods (i.e. light yogurt, wheat thins, low fat cottage cheese, low-calorie microwaveable lunches) with “real” food (i.e. fresh fruits and veggies, sprouted grains, full fat foods) has completely transformed my stamina and overall well-being.  (So much so that I was able to run with my son in his very first race…something he’s been looking forward to for quite some time.)

Maria’s book recently went into its 2nd publication and I was completely honored when she asked me to photograph the cover of the new book which was just released this week.

A huge thank you to Maria for allowing me to be a part of this project and congrats on the continued success of the book!

If you’re interested in reading the book you can find it here:

Maria Nutrition

View her blog here:

Blog

She also has big plans for her new Facebook Fan Page including recipes, and much, much more:

Maria Health Fan Page

The past few weeks have been filled with babies, babies and more babies!  I’ve had the pleasure of working with this beautiful family since they welcomed their first boy home.  When I found out they would be welcoming another baby boy into the family I couldn’t have been more excited for them.  As a mama of two boys myself, I know the joy this family will experience in the years ahead as they watch the brothers grow and develop that brotherly bond.  The mom of these precious duo wanted to be sure to get some shots of the proud papa with his two boys.  I have no doubt their dad will have the boys out playing football in no time at all!  Congratulations again, Jim and Christa.